Chloe MooreMarcus O’Laoire is a dynamic DJ, cook, and cultural innovator who has become a staple of Ireland’s creative scene. Known for electrifying sets at venues like Index and festivals such as Electric Picnic, Marcus brings unmatched energy and diverse taste to the decks.
Offstage, his passion for food shines through as a culinary creator and professional eater, blending Irish flavours with global inspiration. As brand director for Lovin Dublin, he champions the city’s vibrant culture, connecting audiences to its music, food, and lifestyle.
A true multi-talented creator, Marcus continues to inspire by bringing people together through music, food, and storytelling. I sat down with Marcus to discuss his love for all things creative and his genuine love for music, food and life was inspiring and uplifting.
Can you tell us about your journey and how you’ve managed to balance your passions for music, food, and being a brand director?
If I were to break it down to the simplest way of telling the story, it would be that I doubled down on just doing things I love and worked a lot on them. I was working in kitchens in my early 20s, DJing at night and coming back into kitchens in the morning.
I think I must have done that for a couple of years, and to be honest, I loved it. Eventually, I was busy enough as a DJ to move out of working directly in kitchens, but one thing led to another and I started doing live cooking demos and eventually cooking on TV, all still while gigging nonstop in clubs and at festivals, and kinda just kept going.
When the pandemic started and I was going a bit stir-crazy, I started cooking on Insta to pass the time and now we’re here with a three-pronged career of DJing, cooking and making food content, and also being the brand director of Lovin Dublin.
What was your first big break in your career, and how did it shape where you are today?
I think the first really big break I got was kicking off a Monday residency in Hangar called €2 Mondays. I had been the main resident in The Academy for a few years leading up to it, and that was brilliant, but Hangar is very much where I found my sound and my crowd, and it was the first venue to give me full control over what I was playing and putting out. I was very lucky to play for hundreds of hours there, to so many people across a few years.
How did the idea for the 2 Euro Monday parties at Hangar come about?
2 Euro Mondays was the brainchild of two great promoters, Conor Duggan and Conor McDermott, who offered me the residency, and let me have full creative reign over the music, which isn’t super common, but massively appreciated. I think it was probably the best time in my memory for dance music in Dublin, the scene was super healthy and people were getting behind grassroots events in a way that I would love to see repeated now. The aim was always simple, give people an affordable and fun night while not forcing anyone to compromise on venue and music, and it just landed right and became a monster.
Do you think those nights had a lasting impact on Dublin’s club culture?
I think so, I think there’s always an element of the right place and right time with nights like that but I think the biggest thing is that it allowed a generation of DJs to play to hundreds or thousands of people every week and grow a profile and become comfortable in their styles. Aside from myself, I look at the likes of George Feely, Kamorah, Kaily, Boots & Kats and so many more. I’m very grateful for it, especially looking at how things now seem to be much more focused on big-ticket shows.
Why do you think people were so drawn to the 2 Euro Mondays? Was it just the price, or was there something more?
It was fun and accessible and there was a community around it, it just worked. People bought into it and came with an open mind and it resulted in a special party.
How did the Tramline parties compare to what you were doing in Hangar?
Tramline is where I went out on my own as a promoter, and the energy from Hangar carried through and honestly, multiplied. We had a thousand-person capacity venue that was at capacity by 11 pm every Monday for about two and a half years running, and the energy was wild. Great sound system and lights and a low ceiling made for a different vibe to Hangar but it again was so special. People came for the music and I’m proud of that, and it allowed me to champion a lot of local talent that I admire over the years, which was what the night was always all about.
How did the closing of District 8 (at The Tivoli) impact the Dublin scene, in your opinion?
I think the combined closing of Hangar and D8 in the Tivoli dealt a blow to the scene which was tough, but people still wanted to dance. In a lot of ways, it drove people into smaller venues to see locals which is a small plus from an overall massive negative.
Midweek parties were a huge part of the Dublin scene—why do you think they were so important?
Midweek parties should be the beating heart of any healthy scene, and it’s such a shame that closing venues, rising costs and other reasons are preventing people from running things. There was a time not too long ago in Dublin when you could easily go out every night of the week, probably to a couple of different venues. Midweek nights give people a space for DJs to play and people to dance without the pressure of a big ticket show – they build community, they’re affordable, they support venues and keep things alive in an essential way.
Did playing midweek events help shape you as a DJ?
I was lucky enough to play almost every Monday for the guts of 6/7 years between Hangar and Tramline, and have more concrete memories from those nights than I do from any weekend residency I had. Monday parties gave me an opportunity and a willing, regular audience to sculpt me into the DJ I am today, and I can confidently say that a good midweek is the best party you’ll ever find.
Growing up, were you always drawn to both music and food or did one come before the other?
Music was my first love. I’ve played a few instruments since I was a kid and played in bands before doing music in college. I never thought of cooking as a career, and kind of ended up making the leap from front of house to back of house by accident when a chef friend of mine suffered a sudden bereavement and I offered to jump in, having never worked in a kitchen. I always loved cooking at home, but It kinda worked out that as much as I loved it, the cheffing supported me while I was finding my feet as a DJ, and then DJing allowed me to move away from cheffing, and focus on the less intense and more fun side of the food world.
Was there a defining moment when you realized you could pursue multiple careers simultaneously?
I don’t think there was one moment. I weirdly see cooking and music as very similar processes in my head, they tickle the same thought centres and stimulate the same parts of my mind, so one never really contradicted the other in the process, so I keep doing them as long as I enjoy them and use them as opportunities to learn and develop skills.
What’s been your most memorable gig, and why?
In recent times rave in the woods at EP last summer, playing at 3 or 4 am on Sunday night to over 10,000 people. I made a really self-indulgent and profoundly stupid vocal intro for a laugh. No regrets.
Electric Picnic and Index are iconic gigs—how do you prepare for such high-energy performances?
Look for tunes all the time, get to know them and know when they suit to be played and then I just try and read the room. Preparing too much and pre-planning too much has never been my thing. Crowds are dynamic and exciting living entities and need to be watched constantly.
Are there any up-and-coming Irish artists or DJs you’re particularly excited about?
Loads. Curtisy, BRICKNASTY, Selky, Roo Honeychild, Chubby Cat, 49th & Main, Collie, Byron Yeats, Derv, Cerillo, Ema. There’s an infinite list of amazing artists, producers, DJs, bands, rappers and more coming out of Ireland at the moment.
Do you find any parallels between creating a DJ set and crafting a dish?
Find your flavour, be confident you know what you’re doing and take people on a bit of an adventure. And don’t be scared to get spicy.
How do you stay inspired and continue learning in the kitchen?
I fucking love it. Genuinely. Unfortunately in the last 18 months, I’ve been having some lower back issues which have prevented me from DJing as much as I’d like, so cooking and learning to do the bits that I do has been an incredible creative outlet.
With such a diverse range of roles, how do you manage your time and avoid burnout?
It took a long long time and many burnouts to learn how much of myself I could afford to give to both people and gigs. It has become second nature to do it to the point that I generally have a good idea of where I’m at in my head, but otherwise, keep a constant calendar, take breaks, eat well, rest up, check in with yourself, hydrate, don’t party too much, don’t drink too much, don’t forget to have fun, don’t have too much fun, spend time with friends, spend time with family, enjoy it always.
What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue multiple creative careers like yours?
If you feel it, and it makes you happy and you want it – do it. Follow the things you love and you will learn things about yourself and open doors both internal and external that you could never possibly imagine. Risk and discomfort are both good things. Go and do the thing, you won’t regret it.
Photo Credits: Dean Fitzgerald
